Colliding Cultures
by KingKoronda
Summary: When People from one culture discover a Huntress From an unknown one. Things get very hectic. Especially when the Huntress Is special on both sides. The story of how Cultures Divided in the distant Past, when brought together can either merge, Or Collide.
1. The return home

**And so begins the long process of getting back into story writing mode! This time I'm tackling an all new series for my story. The Monster hunter series! Now, just for a fair warning, My knowledge of the series is limited to the most recent game, but I will try to reference the past games if I can.**

**as usual, I own absolutely nothing about the monster hunter series, and all things go to their respected owners, the only original things here are the storyline, the characters, and whatever comes along off the top of my head! character Ideas are welcome, but I probably won't use them very often. **

**without further Bolded text! Colliding cultures, as written by Fire and Ice.**

* * *

Aran couldn't help but hear the crash of The Duramboros tail landing right beside him, it didn't matter if his Azure Rathalos Armor had earplugs, it was always loud. Turning on the spot he started jabbing it's tail with the pointed end of his lance, the "Spear of Prominence" into an open crack that had appeared earlier on in the fight. after being bounced back several times, he managed to slip the point through the entire tail, managing to break off a fairly large chunk of it.

"Not bad Bud!" Aran's hunting partner, A tall, Black haired man named Trent called from across the swamp, he had just jumped out of the way when the Duramboros fell forward, His switch Axe, the "Amber slash" looked incredibly worn, yet He could still see bit's off the beast's horns along the blade.

"That's everything off him, all that's left is to finish him off!" Aran shouted over to his partner, throwing a whetstone as well, which Trent promptly put to use. just out of the corner of His eye, Aran saw the two rookies who elected to tag along taking turns carving the broken bit of the tail. as to be expected the Duramboros went straight for them, stomping right past the vulnerable Trent, who was just about done sharpening his weapon, and swung the bit of his tail that remained at the less experienced hunters, knocking them off their feet, high into the Air, and much to Aran's dismay. Over the waterfall. During the time it took for the splash to be heard, Trent had Approached Aran.

"Well so much for that. The Duramboros tunneled away again." Trent Spoke up. It wasn't unusual for Aran and Trent to end their quest's alone, and this was no different.

"It went North, It's probably resting in it's alcove. It'll be easier to capture it. why waste any more time than we have too?" Aran replied curtly.

Without bothering to sharpen his own weapon, Aran ran into a gap between the tree's just behind him, leading further into the Jungle like wilderness of the swamp, Aran knew exactly where he was going, He had been there many times before. It was a popular resting place for many of the monsters that made their homes in the swamp near town. and Sure enough, just after he burst into the clearing he saw the giant, broken back of the duramboros they had been hunting. After quietly signaling Trent to get the tranquilizer bombs ready, Aran set up a shock trap in the ground underneath the monster. After Aran Bashed the beast's head with the shield, he yelled for Trent to throw the bombs. No sooner had he sid it that the beast fell down asleep again.

"Another hunt finished, let's go home already, I'm sure your Sisters will be back from their gathering by the time we get back."

"As if, You know how thorough they are, If there's a Kelbi to be found, You know Leanne won't let it leave without taking it's horn." Aran knew his sisters well, how could he not. After His Parent's carked it during a failed mission to Kill an Alatreon, His older and younger Sisters were almost all he had, Trent was the Almost. After waiting for a minute or two, The cart that was going to take them back to town arrived, with the two rookies already on board, after a quick laugh, the cart took off towards town, a ride that usually only takes an hour.

* * *

Once they finally got back to town, trent and Aran parted ways with the two hunters that had accompanied them. Then the duo stopped off at their nearby bank to deposit the money that they had earned, They decided to waste a little time at the diner that they usually ate at before quests, the food they served was surprisingly good, and After several visits on his own, he learned that the tablesetter had quite a keen "interest" with Trent. After bringing it up to her, She made Aran promise not to tell a soul. He hadn't but it still amused him to no end to watch her fumble around when trying to talk casually with him.

"Hey Trent, I'm going to head on home, you coming with or are you gonna spend some more time around town?" When Aran didn't get a response from his roommate, He shrugged and decided to head home on his own, without his helm on, his Armor could have passed for casual wear in town, he wore it so often, he'd be looked at weirder if he was wearing normal clothes. After a lot of small talk with the people he walked past, he finally got to the road that lead to his "base of operations" A long walk up to one of the biggest homes in the entire town, which made sense, considering he shared it with his sisters and Trent.

"Oh, welcome back Aran, Did Trent go off again?" Quite to His surprise, His Older Sister Leanne was standing in the entryway waving to Him

"Leanne? I didn't expect you to come home till Kelbis were extinct!"

"Let's just say something... Happened. Come inside, it'll be easier to show you than tell you." Aran followed his Older sister inside, after hanging up his weapon and helm, he followed her into their spare room, His younger sister was sitting on the edge of the bed, taking care of some bandages that appeared to be bloody. but what really caught his eye was who the bandages belonged too. A person laid in the bed, a girl, clearly. With very light blonde hair laid across the pillow. following his little sisters hands Aran noticed A massive Gash directly across her Neck, her eyes weren't open, but the strain on her face showed that she was in fact conscious, and in a lot of pain.

"She was worse off when we carried her here, why don't you come back downstairs so I can tell you exactly what happened"


	2. Gathering

"alright, that's everything, just remember to come back in one piece, and bring back a few of the pieces you leave him in!" Leanne had always been Aran and trent's Inventory manager, It was her way of contributing to their little group. Aran and trent, once childhood besties, now the strongest Hunting duo on the island. Did most of the work to keep the roof above their heads, Then there was little Lyn. At an early age, she showed promise as a healer, and she lived up to that promise in every way. she had become the towns Doctor, which helped keep them on good terms with the people in town.

"We'll see you by tomorrow night at the furthest! Good luck with Lyn!" Aran and Trent took off into town, doing what they did best. Screw around during the hour they had before the hunt.

"alright Leanne, you ready to go?" Then there was Lyn, who had asked for help gathering Kelbi horns, yet the problem with that, neither of them were experienced hunters so they had to scavenge for Kelbi Horns that had broken off naturally. which tended to take a lot of time. Lyn was never a fan of that. So here she was as usual, an empty bag and an old metal shield. To put it simply, Lyn was always very 'hands on' with her work.

"of course, I have everything we'll need." After grabbing a few rations to stay up on their strength, Leanne and Lyn left for the woods behind their home, a short walk and they were home free. Lyn took point and set course over to the river nearby, it was common knowledge to the people in town that Monsters tended to stay near their drinking water... the downside though being that Carnivores tended to think the same thing. and just one measly shield wouldn't do much to a Great Jaggi, or anything bigger than that. So they had to be very, very careful.

"Jackpot! ATTACK!" Before Leanne could finish her thought, Lyn had jumped out of the bush that they were hiding in. after standing up herself, leanne could see Lyn chasing after a herd of kelbi that had just stopped to get a drink. swinging around an old shield, giggling like a maniac, She often wondered how such a childish girl could be so serious when it came to the injured. The groans of the patients, the bloodstained clothes, ugh she could smell it now. Leanne lifted her head quickly, she wasn't imagining things, she could smell the metallic scent that she knew all to well. and judging from the scent, it was overpowering, and close. She looked around for a little bit, and just out of the corner of her eye she saw it, A large red line of blood flowing through the river, and just upstream, draped over the rocks was a body.

"LYN!" Leanne ran over to the body and turned it over so she could see it's face. as bloody as it was the body had very soft features and judging by it's chest, definitely a woman. After brushing the bloody blonde hair from the figures face. Leanne nearly hurled, a Massive gash ran across her throat, Leanne pressed her fingers to the woman's neck and gasped

"She's alive... barely" Lyn had appeared at her side and was taking in the sight, not an emotion on her face."we have to get her out of here. now, any carnivore within a mile can smell her."

taking Lyn's directions, Leanne and Lyn carefully carried the bloody body away from the river, leaving the bag of Kelbi Horns behind, Because of their fragile cargo, they had to carry the body out of the woods the long way, to their greatest fortune, no carnivores showed up. after they brought the body into town, they rushed her towards their home, The bloody sight caught many eyes, and many frantic questions could be heard from the crowd that was growing behind them. a few more friendly faces held the mob back to clear a route to their home. After nearly tearing up the house taking the woman to their spare room, Leanne rushed downstairs and grabbed Lyn's medical kit and brought it to her. Knowing not to break her concentration, Leanne decided to go outside and calm down the crowd, which didn't take too long, before heading back home herself.

* * *

"and then you guys showed up a few hours later, and here we are!" Leanne finished her story, trent had shown up just as they sat down in the main entryway.

"that's something else, so how is she faring now?" Trent spoke up from his position, Trent never sat down when he was interested in anything.

"I'm not sure, and no, you can't go and see her, Lyn's too far into her zone to let you screw her up." Aran laughed a bit as trent tried to find a way to defend himself.

"seems we miss out on everything don't we!" Aran chuckled to himself from his seat. Leanne was about to respond when there was a loud knocking at their door. before they could even stand it swung open.

"Trent and Aran! I have the great news!" Arnold, one of the more colorful hunters in town, one of the guilds officials, and one of Trent's personal friends had nearly broken down the door. "Very urgent quest! just for you both!"

"Urgent!" Aran and Trent both sprung to Arnolds side almost simultaneously, "Black Diablos... Desert... Rank 5!" Trent had paraphrased the letter out loud. Much to everyone's surprise, the letter was sent specifically to them.

"I'll get packing!" "I'll set out the armor!" and with that, the both of them were gone

"... I think they accept!" Leanne couldn't help but laugh a bit, between Arnold's speech and her brother's, she basically treated Trent like one anyways.

"Now little Leanne, I have a question for you! the town is abuzz like bees with questions! could you please shed a little light for the guild about your how to say? houseguest?"

"I was expecting the guild to ask about this soon enough... and you'll have to take it up with Lyn when she get's a chance."

With that Lyn stormed down the stairs."wheres Aran?"

"He's getting ready for his next urgent quest with Trent, they'll be gone tomorrow morning, and they'll be busy for the rest of the day."

Lyn groaned. "I need the Kelbi Horns we left in the forest in order to close the cut... and I can't just leave her here unattended..."

"Bwahaha! Tiny Lyn! I shall gladly go get bag for you! I be back later tonight!" Arnold turned and left as straightforwardly as he had entered, without any goodbyes.

"Lyn, are you sure you can close the cut? it's just so... ew!"

Lyn shrugged her shoulders and responded "I'll have to try, I've never lost a patient and I never will!"

With those strong words Lyn charged back up the stairs, her energy was contagious, and Leanne couldn't help but smile. But one thing had her worried, and it had been worrying her all day... The cut on Her throat... it was too straight, too clean, too perfect. it couldn't have been just any monster. but what it really was, she didn't have a clue...


	3. An introduction

Lyn woke up the next morning on the floor, sitting up, she realized that she fell asleep in the spare room again. Sitting up with a groan, she noticed that the figure on the bed had turned onto her side overnight, too the normal persons point of view, that didn't mean much,Yet to Lyn, that meant a lot of things. It showed that she was in a significantly smaller amount of Pain, enough to be comfortable enough to sleep soundly. judging by the position of her head, She could tell that the amount of blood lost had been regained overnight. and most importantly, instead of short ragged breaths, she was breathing normally, she could even hear a soft sighing sound when her head turned.

"I guess I didn't need the Kelbi Horns... She's just asleep" Lyn chuckled, her mother had always told her that you can treat a wound a thousand ways, but the worlds greatest cure-all was time. yet even Lyn constantly forgot. After she brushed off her clothes she left the room as quietly as she could, Leanne was at the bottom of the stairs, Looking up at Lyn with her warm smile plastered on her face. Judging by the heat of the room and delicious scent, she had just finished cooking.

"Lyn, please wash-up, your hands are all bloody, Yuck!" Rolling her eyes at her squeamish sister, Lyn went outside and cleaned her hands with the drainage barrel, which wa almost full, it must have rained the day before. after coming back inside Leanne had already laid out the plates and was already eating herself. Lyn took the seat next to her sister. Until this moment, she hadn't realized how hungry she was.

"Have more if you like, I had made some for the boys, but they took off before it was even done..." Leanne seemed exasperated

"their loss! it's amazing!" Lyn was so busy shoveling food into her mouth that she was done in less than five minutes, and she was still hungry, after grabbing herself another plateful she resumed conversation with Leanne as normal.

"so... how is she anyway? I haven't really seen you in a day and..."

Lyn had expected this question, and she couldn't help but smirk as she looked up at Leanne

"I told you once and I'll tell you again! I've never lost a patient and I never will!"

Leanne looked up for a split second before settling her eyes on Lyn. "I can see that!"

Lyn looked at Leanne for a moment, confused. then it hit her, Lyn turned in her seat. Looking in from the doorway was the Blonde girl that Lyn had been caring for for the last day. Leanne spoke up. "come sit down, your probably hungry."

Leanne gestured the woman to the seat next to her. as she sat down, Lyn took the time to look at the woman clearly, She was a bit over five feet tall, her hair was just past shoulder length, and for a woman she was quite attractive. Her clothes were well fitting, and through all the care she had been put through, she was clean, yet what relly caught her attention ws her eyes, in the center the were a crimson red, yet on the outside they were a deep violet, and in between, her eyes shone every color inbetween.

"I'm Leanne, and this is my little sister Lyn. what is your name?"

The Girl had taken a seat in between them, she looked down at the plate of food with a blank expression,she looked over at Lyn, who was still eating as well.

"I... am... Au..." Her voice was very quiet and shaky, It sounded as if she was about to pass out again. Leanne grabbed the girls shoulder "If it hurts to talk, don't. A cut like that probably puts a strain on your voice."

The girl rubbed her hand over the long scar that was plastered to the front of her neck, her face darkened for a moment as she did so, She shook her head to the side.

"Hello Friends of friend!" A brown package landed on the table with a thud "Horns and shield, Just as asked! But it does not look like they are needed..."

"damn it Arnold!" Lyn was brushing herself off after she had fallen from her seat "For such a huge guy you move very quietly!"

Leanne Simply chuckled to herself as she turned to Arnold "Thank you Arnold, but there are more in here than we left before... let me guess, this is why you showed up half a day late?"

"Ah! Little Leanne is big in Brain! I bring a few extra. And I bring more!" Arnold pulled out a large package from his back, and laid it out on the table next to the bag, and opened it, Inside, was a blade with a pendent wrapped around it."I took a swim in the river, to see what I could see, and this is what I've seen!"

The woman had perked up as soon as the package was opened, she reached out and grabbed the pendent in her hand, without a word, she put it on.

"I am Aurora... and I have to thank you all for going to such measures for me, and to you, Arnold, I believe, for returning my belongings as well."Her voice was still very quiet, but she sounded much more alive now.

"I think I speak for us all when I say it's our pleasure Aurora, now please, eat, you haven't eaten in at least a day, and Arnold, why don't you stick around as well, We have plenty of breakfast and it would be a waste if it wasn't eaten."

* * *

Lyn had just finished helping Aurora make the spare room more Homey, when Leanne had called from downstairs.

"Aran and Trent are home!"

Lyn headed down the stairs to greet her successful hunters, but the sight that met her were two battered and bruised men with dented armor, emptying their packs of what little supplies they had left.

"What the hell happened?"

Trent looked over to her "we got our asses Kicked."

"Black Diablos Don't play fair." Aran had spoken up as he was pulling his helm off, his face had a huge bruise where it looked like he had been smacked upside the head with a hammer. "And even two to one, it had us beat, no contest."

"You didn't have any other hunters join you?" Lyn was surprised, they never went alone on hunts, it was suicide.

"Nobody was willing too, Black diablos are very Notorious for being ridiculously difficult."

"Perhaps I could help?" Aurora was just walking down the steps, her pendent tucked into her clothing, and her blade at her hip. "I have many experiences with monsters."

"You!" Aran and trent's responses were the same "Your alive!"

Lyn looked down at them angrily "Did you think she wouldn't! And I thought I was negative..."

"why would you help us hunt? You don't even know who we are... Miss?" trent spoke.

" Aurora, and I don't know any of you very well, but It's the least I can do to repay you all..."

"now wait one minute Little One! you are not Licensed guild hunter. no quests for you!"

"Dammit Arnold!" Lyn was catching her breath as Arnold had somehow shown up right behind her.

"Ah! Don't look so sad friends, I believe that exceptions can be made if A guild official, Hint Hint, was to take part in such a hunt."

Leanne looked shocked "Arnold, are you volunteering for the hunt?"

"Perhaps I am, my question is, will you accept our assistance in your quest?"

"Well, I Think that e could use every bit of help we could get., so I guess we could try again in a few days with you guys tagging along." Aran stood up in a joking way "Pack your bags early, becuse we leave when We feel like it!"

Arnold smacked Aurora in the back playfully "If this goes well, you will be hunter just like us! No pressure!"

"yeah... No pressure..."


	4. The shocking Discovery

It had been two days since Aran and Trent had returned from their hunt, and not in the best of conditions. Since then, Both Aurora and Arnold had volunteered to assist them on their next go. Arnold's weapon of choice was the hammer, and for this specific case, he was using a Pykrete punisher, an extremely powerful Ice hammer, which would in no doubt be very useful against their foe. And Arnold was a veteran Hunter, so he was already well prepared. Then there was Aurora, Arnold had visited the day before an dropped off some armor that was on loan from the guild. A set of Ivory Lagiacrus armor, Nobody knew how Arnold had chosen the right size, but it fit like a glove. yet at her own insistence, she didn't wear the helm. Arnold had the armor socketed with the proper decorations that the armor skills were still in effect. She also refused to exchange her weapon for a more orthodox one, she stuck with her three foot long silver blade, it looked so new that it could have been hung above a fireplace somewhere. Yet it had a deadly feeling when they got near it. So they didn't question it.

They had just left the house and went into town for the last hour before the hunt. Arnold had decided to Take Aurora for a tour around town, being her first time actually leaving the house since she recovered. Aran and trent decided to head into town to grab a bite before they left.

"Ahoy Trent! Going to give your hunt another go today eh?"

The guild girl, in her standard purple sailor uniform was standing behind the counter waving at the duo.

"let me guess, dragon head for Trent, and Heaven bread for Aran, both with Milk on the side?"

"gee how'd you guess? it's almost as if we always eat here." Trent replied sarcastically, resulting in a giggle from the Tender. "maybe!"

As soon as Trent looked away, the Tender Glared at Aran and whispered. "not a single fucking word, you hear me!"

All Aran could do was try not to laugh at the tiny tender in her uniform, so he gave her a quick thumbs up and went back to join Trent at their spot. After a few minutes, the tender came back with two trays of food. after setting them down she bowed curtly and muttered "come back the winners this time."

"Oh we will, we have help this time. Arnold and Aurora will be joining us." Trent spoke up between bites.

"Ooh Arnold! You guys will be unbeatable! And... Wait... Who's Aurora?"

"Ah my friend! I knew I would find you here." Arnold took the seat next to Trent laughing.

"Oh hey Arnold! I heard your going to help Trent and Aran on their quest!"

"Ah... Not exactly, I come here to play supervising role for Aurora!" Arnold pointed behind him to where Aurora was conversing with an elder hunter.

"well Ain't you a *hic* pretty face... cmere a sec..." Aurora took a step back as the drunk man fell out of his seat.

"Leave him, he got what he deserved, Old Prick..."

"Olivia, watch your language around special guest. Aurora, meet Olivia, the Guilds tender."

"Oh It's so nice to meet you! I haven't seen a huntress in such a long time!"

Olivia shook her hand vigorously with both of hers, nearly tearing Auroras arm off.

"Nice to meet you too... Please let go."

Olivia let go of her hand. "Is that your weapon? it's awfully small for a longsword... oh, is it a sword and shield? no... you don't have a shield?"

Olivia practically dragged Aurora off with her as She talked at her,"Help me..." Aurora whispered.

"Hey Olivia, we're set too leave soon, Why don't you get her a meal before we set off." Aran nodded to Aurora.

Olivia got Aurora a meal, the same thing as Aran, After quickly eating The cart arrived. After Lifting Aurora up into it, The rest of the group climbed in, and the cart departed for the desert ruins.

* * *

"Alright. The Diablos was just outside the ruins last time, that would be a good place to check first."

"The ruins? odd place for Diablos to nest, no?"

"actually it makes sense, They tunnel around a lot, so the loose sand by the ruins would make it a lot easier."

"you Really do have experience with monster's don't you?"

"Did you expect otherwise Trent?"

"Kinda."

The group stuck together as they made their way deeper into the heart of the desert, after Aran gave Aurora a quick lesson about how cool drinks worked, and her complaining about how the cold hurt her teeth for a short period. They arrived in front of the ruins.

"Well, it's not here. The oasis would be the next best bet, It's just to the east" Trent Pointed the way.

"Hang on... Something doesn't seem right..." Aurora glanced side to side

Arnold stood in the entryway to the ruins "She's right, There is blood on Pillars, not human."

"That's the Diablos's blood alright. we clipped her wings pretty badly."

Aurora backed up quickly "That's not what's bothering me. it's this..." On the side of the pillar there was a large chunk missing, and running down the pillar was a weird liquid sizzling as it dripped down. "deviljho saliva..."

"And what exactly does that mean Monster Detective?"

"shut up Trent, and I'm guessing that after you guys botched your quest, a deviljho migrated here, and being the ugly gluttons they are, It took advantage of the Diablos wounds and attacked it. After a battle that didn't last very long, the Diablos fled into the ruins, escaping the deviljhos last bite by a pillars worth."

"I could not have said any better myself. except for one thing." Arnold stepped forward."However you forget one thing young girl."

""and what's that Arnold?"

"that the Deviljho is attracted to anything that is bleeding." He reached out and rubbed Auroras neck, showing that her cut had reopened slightly "and that the same Deviljho that attacked Our prey, now thinks of you as it's prey."

Sure enough, a deafening roar could be heard from the path behind them, and a surprisingly small Deviljho caught glimpse of them. Aurora acted before anyone else could, she brought out her blade and bashed the chomped out Pillar with the hilt of her blade. breaking the pillar, and In turn caused the arch it was holding up to crumble in the entrance, blocking off the monsters entrance, however, It also blocked Aurora outside with it.

"Stupid Girl! What have you done!" Arnold Freaked out as he pulled Trent and Aran into the ruins "You are going to get yourself Killed"

"I don't see what other choice we have, If It's after a small piece of prey, It'll give chase. And If I run into the ruins, He'll follow us there."

"She's right, Arnold, We can't fight both a Black Diablos and a Deviljho in a confined space." Trent pulled Arnold Back into the ruins

"I'll drive him off, hurry up and find the Diablos!" Aurora ran diagonally towards the Deviljho keeping her distance. Aran Nodded and ran into the ruins after Trent and Arnold. Running down the stairs He caught up with them.

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

"Arnold Thinks That she will be just fine! But for now we must do our part and Kill Our prey before she becomes Prey herself!"

After running around for a few minutes, they reached the bottom of what seemed to be a labyrinth of staircases, they found a Diablos, It's scales so dark it could barely be seen in the darkness of the ruins, It was laying on the ground, Judging by the way it was laying, it's wing had been injured beyond use, and It's horn was broken, and most importantly, It was asleep.

"shh..." Aran whispered as he circled the beast. "I'll cut his tail"

"Arnold Smashes You!" Arnold Charged at the Black Diablos and brought his Hammer down on Her other horn Smashing it into Pieces that clattered on the old stone floor

"That works too, Attack!" Trent Leapt in from the side and swung his switch-axe down at the monsters neck, Getting flung back as The monster rose to it's feet. Roaring so loudly that bit's of the ruins vibrated above it.

"Ugh..." Aran circled the beast looking for one of the cracks in it's scales that the deviljho may have caused. He found one right underneath her wing, With a single thrust he forced it through He could hear it touch bone as It stopped. For some reason, he found the sound disturbing. Yet he thrust another four times until it wouldn't go any further.

"Even after a deviljho attack, It's still putting up a lot of fight..." Aran, circled around and caught the whetstone that trent passed him, Hiding behind a pillar nearby, He sharpened the point of his lance to it's full potential. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arnold swing his hammer with so much force that He could hear His Hammer creak on impact. It was good to have him here with them, Otherwise they still would have had difficulties with the Diablos... He stood out from behind the pillar Just in time to feel the entire ruin shake for a short period of time.

"W-What the hell!" trent had fallen from his stance behind the wyverns leg. and by the looks of it, the Wyvern was just as confused as he was.

* * *

Aurora was having a hard time keeping up with the Deviljho, despite it's smaller size than most Deviljho, it was just as strong. She rolled under the Beasts maw and swung at it's belly for a few quick hits, but from the looks of it She wasn't hurting it all too much. As she ran out from under the beast It swung it's tail out at her and swept her off her feet before jumping onto her and pinning her down with it's oddly shaped foot.

"Gyagh! Gross!" Aurora squealed as The deviljho drooled on her. It bent down to bite at her armor but was stopped with a wide swing of Auroras sword, leaving a significant scratch along it's face, finally some sort of indication that she was hurting the beast! With another swing to the leg the beast got of off her. Rolling backwards and back onto her feet Aurora rested her hand onto her neck, the cut was bleeding a bit worse, and that was only encouraging the Monster in front of her.

"Agh! Ow!" She quickly ripped off the Ivory Lagiacrus chest plate that she was wearing, It had been soaked through with drool, and the corrosive substance had started to burn her skin.

"Now you've pissed me off!" Aurora grabbed her Lagaicruz Arms and tossed them off to the side before taking off her pendent and placing it on the back of her hand, where a strange mark that she kept hidden began to glow.

"Sorry Mother... But I can't hold back anymore!" Her vision began to swirl between colors as she picked up her blade again, Tis time, instead of shining it's normal silver, cackled with an electric current, Yet the blade didn't shock her, It simply flowed through her, as could be seen by the small arcs of electricity flowing between locks of her hair, before fizzling out at the ends beneath her shoulders. She swung her blade at the monster from a distance. Sending an arc of lightning at the beast, upon collision the Lightning flashed and a massive crack of thunder filled her ears, causing some of the pillars behind her to shake.

"You won't leave alive..."

* * *

Once the tremor stopped, All four beings in the room regained their balance.

"Something must have happened outside!" Aran shouted.

Then there was a loud crack heard above them, the ceiling had given way, and a large chunk of stone was falling right towards them.

"Look out!" No point in warning the others though, They were already well aware of the imminent doom that could befall them. Aran pulled Trent behind a pillar with him as the ground shook from the Collision of the stone and the ground. looking out from behind the pillar, Aran saw that Arnold had the same thought he had, getting behind a pillar across from his own, And from the looks of it, The stone had not only fallen on the Black Diablos, But It had finished her off, There was no movement in the pile of stone, and upon closer inspection, it was in fact, dead to the world.

"Well that works, But I eel like we didn't really do much of the work, between a Deviljho attack and the roof caving in. This victory seems hollow..." Aran said lamentably.

"Aran come on! we still have the Deviljho to chase off. We finished our prey, now we have to rescue Aurora from being Prey!" Trent yelled as He and Arnold ran up the stairs from which they had came. The route ws remembered if only through Muscle, and the Sounds of Battle could be heard through the wall, and was that... Thunder? It sounded Like a thunderstorm had rollen in during the short time they were in the ruins, shoving the few scales they were able to recover from the Diablos in their pockets. They ran up the last set of stairs into the open. To their Greatest surprise, not only was there No Thunderstorm, There wasn't a single cloud to be seen, and standing in front of Them was A deviljho that was too wounded to stand. barely holding onto life. and standing In front of that. Was Aurora, but something seemed Unusual, She had her weapon drawn, and it felt so electrically charged that if they took another step it culd have shocked them, and her hair, while still blonde, Was literally moving with the electric charges.

"Aurora!" They Shouted, but she didn't turn or acknowledge them at all. She just walked up to the Deviljho that was infront of her and spoke.

"No Mercy..." Her voice carried with a creepy echo. And She didn't seem like herself. She Lifted her sword into the air and threw it straight up. "No Mercy!"

The Blade spun in the Air for a few moments before a flash of Lightning Blinded the three of them. They couldn't see a thing, The only sense they still had was hearing, and all they could hear was the sound of ripping flesh, and It was stomach churning, Once the light Faded, Aurora was leaning against the cliff side, Breathing heavily, Her blade sharp end first in the sand, The deviljho was beside her, and It's head had been seperated clean from It's body, and It layed several feet to the other Side of Aurora.

"Did... Did I overdo it?" She asked with a weak smile.


	5. The guild Head

"Aurora..."

She wouldn't speak, she never was the talkative type, But she flat out wouldn't acknowledge his presence. Or any of the three who were in the caravan with her.

"Bah, If she will not share her secret's why should we pry! Not our business" Arnold Spoke up.

"zzz..." And Trent had Fallen asleep without a care. Figures.

The rest of the trip went by pretty slowly, The rattling wheels of the caravan were the only Noise other than Arnold's rambling. Aran was used to the wheels creaking by now, And It lulled him too sleep soon enough. Arnold stopped rambling when he realized that the only other person Listening Was Aurora, and her multicolored eye was glaring at him with a mix of frustration and Sorrow.

"ehehe... I go to sleep now..."

And within a few Minutes, Aurora was the only one awake. Taking her glove off, she looked at the small dragon etched into the back of her hand. It was a permanent gift from her Great Grandfather, She sniffled a little bit "I remember what Grandpa wrote in his journal... Some blessing..." She wiped a tear from her cheek before laying down on the bench and Letting herself fall into the warm embrace of her subconscious.

* * *

Aurora Awoke in the spare rooms bed. Which made sense... Her little "temper tantrum" had done a number on her. But she felt fine now. After climbing out of bed She headed downstairs to wash up and Went outside for some Air, to her surprise, She found Leanne Lounging out in a seat with her eyes closed.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Aurora approached cautiously

"Oh Good your up!" Leanne sat up and looked over in Aurora's direction. "I was just Tanning, Now that the rainy season is coming to a close, It's a good time to be outside!"

Leanne scratched her chin for a second "Almost Forgot! Arnold came over earlier and asked for the three of you, But He wouldn't disturb your rest. He said the Head of the Entire Guild came down for it! I'd suggest you get a move on and not keep him waiting! Now go go"

Leanne Basically chased Aurora out of the house, She had heard about the guild before in her life... And It wasn't a good thing to her. But that would have to wait, She Went into town, Where as opposed to last time, She received many greetings as she walked by. It seemed that the tour Arnold had taken her on before had actually done a lot to spread her name around. After what felt like An Hour of conversing... Which STILL Made her feel like throwing up, She arrived at the guild tent, Inside she could hear Aran and Trent, They sounded Happy After Collecting herself, Aurora entered the Tent.

"Ah There she is now! Our Aurora!" Arnold Was standing In the corner with his arms crossed. And an elderly Wyverian man Was handing them Both Certificates for their Promotion, for some reason he reeked of Smoke

"Now Now, She didn't miss much..." The old man Crossed his arms behind his back as He took his seat again. "Arnold, could you please Hand Aurora her Guild card?" Arnold Stepped out of the corner and Handed her a small, yet thick slip. On it was her basic information, Basically how she looked though, because She refused to tell anyone her Age. Looking it over, it placed her one rank Above Aran and Trent, even with their Promotion!

"Arnold, could you Escort Aran and Trent home, I would like to speak With her... Alone."

Before she could Argue Arnold had left and was walking the two hunters back to the house. Looking back to the Older man, She got kind of nervous...

"Well, Little lady, I suppose I should start with my name. I am Gigima, I do not expect you to have heard of me." He took the seat across from Her. "But I heard of you very quickly, A little Girl found near death In the River, Who surprised everyone when she recovered in one day, tell me, What is your name?"

"Aurora, It is nice to meet you Gigima"

"Aurora, I came down here As soon as I could two day ago. I had a report of astorm so powerful, That Many Believed that an Elder-dragon was descending upon the desert. I show up a day Later to hear that it was the same Child Pulled from the River, Who's wound still even Bleeds from time to time. I wished to meet You, Yet You would not stir for another day."

"I was asleep for 3 days..."

"Indeed you were, Now... Please humor me, How is it, that A small child who can Decapitate one of the strongest monsters known in the guild, A Legendary Feat, may I add! Slip under the Guilds radar for such a time, and what could have injured such a capable hunter so?"

"I'm sorry sir, But... I'm not willing to say..."

Gigima stirred a little in his seat. "It's alright, If it was a traumatizing experience, I will Pry No Further. I have decided to stick around for a few days, For more personal reasons..." He shook his head a bit, "If you ever wish to speak with me about it, I shall be here. Now I have a little visit to make of my own."

With that Gigima left the tent and walked out through town. Leaving Aurora sitting in the empty tent dumbfounded.

* * *

Gigima Walked to the very edge of town, Ignoring the stares of the younger Men and Women in the town. He marched straight down the Walkway to The young hunters home... He knocked on the door and was received by a younger girl With Light brown Hair.

"Oh, hello! You must be The Guild's head! come on In!"

He recognized The Optimism, This had to be Lyn, The youngest in the trio of siblings that lived here. From what He had head about her, She was a gifted Nurse, and had been taking care of the Towns wounded for about six years. and judging by her Age, She had started around the Age of Nine, Without a doubt, This Child was quite gifted.

"Thank you, Child." He sat down in the nearest chair. Looking around, He could tell that the house was still the same as it was before. other than the addition of a few photographs and what he could only assume was the most recent addition, Two Guild cards pinned to the wall, One for Aran and One for Trent. The same ones they had received less than twenty minutes earlier.

"What are you doing here?" Aran and Trent came in through the backdoor. "Did Aurora come with you?"

"Ah, I'm just here to stroll down memory Lane. And no she didn't."

Lyn Spoke up from halfway up the steps. "Memory Lane? You used to live here?!"

"As a matter of Fact, I did, I was the inventory manager Of The hunter who did Live here."

" Like Leanne?"

"Exactly, But that was a long time ago... and I'm Sure Reo is glad his home was left in such capable hands"

Lyn took the seat across from Gigima "You Knew Reo!"

"He was my greatest friend, we were inseparable, just Like your Brother and His friend. I assume you know what happened to him."

Lyn's mood darkened "The strongest hunter of his time, Betrayed by a corrupted Guild, and forced into exile."

"In a nutshell, yes. Yet once the public discovered The Guilds crimes, they were enraged, and they forced the Old Guild to stand down, And at the towns insistence, They Put me In their place. Ever since, No matter how far I search, I have never found My old friend."

"It's a sad story, but nobody knows what happened to him." Lyn hung her head. "It's hard to believe that he lived here..."

Casting a look to the side, Gigima Saw Arnold Sitting next to Leanne out in the Garden, on occasion Leanne would just start laughing after what He could only assume was one of Arnolds Jokes.

"Yes... Well, I'd do good to not overstay my welcome... I bid you farewell Lyn."

Gigima Left the house after saying goodbye to Lyn, and decided it best to Leave Arnold alone with Leanne, see what happens. As he was closing the door He heard someone clearing their throat. Looking over he saw Aurora Leaning against the side of the house Was Aurora, arms crossed, right next to the open window. Gigima could only assume that she had been listening for a while.

"You have something to tell me?" She nodded. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"I... I have something to show you... a place... Where I was born."

Gigima smiled loosely "I'll prepare a caravan if you would provide the destination, I'm sure that this will answer a lot of my questions."

"You aren't going anywhere without us!" Lyn said from the other side of the Window. "Hey Leanne! Were going on a trip!"

"Well, It seems there isn't much say in the matter, They'll be joining us."

Aurora Nodded slowly "It's better that they come... They'll want to see it too..."

Aurora walked inside, and Instantly went up the stairs to the spare room. To Gigimas surprise Arnold Had come around the building.

"It seems that a lot of craziness will be happening soon. I assume that your going to want me along as well?"

"Arnold, of course your joining us, I couldn't bring Leanne without Bringing you, It would kill you!" Gigima walked away laughing, as he headed back into town, preparing himself for whatever would be in their way.


	6. Colliding Cultures

Gigima had supplied a very large caravan, and by the looks of the map that He nd Aurora were pointing at as they spoke to each other, It looked like they had some ways to go. A "three day trip, if weather fares well" As they said. Yet what he didn't understand was there destination. It was a small part of a giant forest to the southwest of town, It was so out of the way that they had to use a world map because it wasn't on Any of the guilds maps. When trent learned about their Destination, He was interested... But not too Motivated... He tended to cover up his excitement.

"So tell Me Aurora, Is there a settlement where you live? Or do you live alone?"

Trent could barely overhear their conversation as he pretended to sleep.

"Settlement. Around Fifty people." Aurora Had opened up slightly To The Much Older Gigima. If only slightly.

"And Why did you want us to come as well?"

"I'll need an account of what happened during the rescue, I wasn't conscious when I was pulled from the river..."

" Ah... So Customs aren't the same there as they are for us."

"No... Not even close..."

Trent Had no Idea what these customs could be, but he knew one thing for sure. wherever Aurora Had come from, it wasn't marked as Guild territory. So whatever customs they did have, it would take some getting used to. And Considering Aurora's weapon of choice. They were a weird Culture indeed.

* * *

"Rosalyn..." A young Man had grabbed the shoulder of an Older woman with Long Blonde hair. "It's been three weeks, If she was Alive she would have returned by now."

"I won't believe that My daughter could Disappear like this! She has to be alive Jirall!"

The woman Fell to her knees and wept, as another man, seemingly younger than Rosalyn, but a year or so older than Jirall Had walked up behind him.

"Jirall, Rosalyn. The memorial service will begin in an hour, And you've both been asked to come."

"Alright Drake... we're on our way, come on..." Jirall helped Rosalyn off of the ground and walked her to the ceremonial grounds.

* * *

"We're almost here... I'm starting to recognise the landmarks..."

It was the third day, and the weather was starting to get a little bit testy. It had stated to drizzle lightly from time to time, and in the distance, it looked like a lightning storm was on it's way.

"That's where I killed my first Jaggi! On top of that stone!" Aurora was getting visibly excited, and oddly, the caravan felt slightly charged.

Arnold And Leanne Were looking out of the Caravan Next to each other at their surroundings.

"I've never seen such a vast forest have such a bloom!" Leanne Looked bewildered at her surroundings.

"It's true! I've never seen such shades of Blue anywhere before!" Arnold shared In his own bewilderment

"Uh... Aurora, Young Lass..." Gigima Had walked out from the front of the caravan. "We can't advance any further, our destination Lies over the cliff"

Aurora Looked at him stupidly. "Then We climb it of course, It's less than a mile from here on out. It should be easy for everyone."

"I'm up for it, Let's climb." Aran grabbed a few of the bags from the caravan and left ahead of the group, already clambering up the side of the hill.

* * *

"Rosalyn... You look Sick... Are you alright?" Drake Had taken the seat next to the grieving Mother as the elder had taken the stage.

"No I'm not!" The Woman looked distraught. "My daughter Can't be dead! She-She can't!" She broke into tears.

"I don't believe it either... But The chief has spoken... Here, I'll walk you home, You need some rest."

"Oh... Thank you Drake..." The Woman Sniffled the entire way back to her hut. "You've been so Kind to me these few weeks Drake..."

"Yes... Its rough to lose Family... I know that all too well..."

"She's not Lost! just Misplaced..."

Drake decided to leave Rosalyn before she decided to cry again. He had to return to the ceremony before he was missed.

The ceremony went on as planned, But ended quickly with the lack Of Rosalyn's words. The people were very unsettled by the briefness of the ceremony. Out of the corner of His Eye, He saw Jirall Speaking with The Chief. Before He could figure out what they were talking about. The Chief stood up.

"With the loss of our Warriors captin, We must procure a newone. Drake, Jirall, Please take the stage.

Drake Groaned as he made his way onto the stage "Jirall, You'll make any excuse to start a fight..."

Jirall Shrugged and looked at him "Hey... The people need something to look up for... Come on, Just this once, Alright."

"Fine, No weapons as usual, last one standing is the winner." Drake widened his stance slightly and grinned at Jirall. "Make it a good show..."

* * *

"Geez Aurora, How can you climb so fast!" Lyn was panting at the top of the cliff, being the last one up.

"Practice, Lot's of it." Now come on, We should be able to get there before the storm If we hurry.

With that Aurora took off ahead of the Group, Her excitement only heightened By the sound of the plants whistling past her ears.  
After a little while, she stopped on top of the log and waited a few minutes for the others to show up. To Her Surprise, Arnold was the first to Arrive. Followed by Aran, then Leanne and Trent. And to nobodies surprise, Lyn and Gigima were the last to arrive.

"We're here." She leapt off of the log and into a small clearing. Following her, the group had expected little shanties made of straw. What they got was Advanced homes made of stone and wood. All very stable, and Many looked very worn by weather. None of the buildings were labeled, as there were only a few of them. And to everybody's surprise, They didn't see a single person.

"they must be having a ceremony, Come on!" Aurora's voice had grown very casual, enough so that she spoke at a normal volume as she walked them through the twisted route towards the clearing towards the grounds, It wasn't a very long walk, but by the time they arrived the storm had reached them and it was pouring. Occasional flashes of lightning could be seen overhead. Once they reached the clearing, they saw two figures through the rain brawling in front of a crowd that seemed to have migrated their seats to the sheltered parts of the clearing.

"Oh not again!" Aurora gasped in exasperation.

* * *

Drake was never very good at fighting, But he could hold his own much better than most, He hardly ever took the offensive, Not like he could with Jirall's nonstop waves of Punches. But he took an opening here and there. One swing that was too wide resulted in a jab to Jiralls Chest. The fight kept going as usual when it started raining, not only was it raining, But he could barely see in front of him. Whenever he took a step, He felt like his feet were sliding. It kept going back and forth like that Until A figure Blurred by the rain was visible in front of him. In what felt like less than a second He felt sharp, deep pains to the back of his leg, His spine, and his face, Before he felt his face collide with the muddy ground.

"Gyaugh!" He felt the ground shudder as Jirall's form landed right next to His. Only one person could wipe the floor with the both of them so quickly. He looked up at the blurred figure. A flash of lightning illuminated the characters more Obvious Features, Long Blonde hair, Flattened to their Back from the rain. a short blade etched at their hip. And The most eye catching of all, fittingly, were their eyes, a spectrum of colors staring into his.

"What Did I tell you two about fighting each other!" The voice sealed it, Drake recognized the figure Standing above them.

"Good to have you back, Captain Aurora."


	7. Collision Averted

Rosalyn sat down in the chair beside her daughters bed, the same way she had ten years ago. Storybook in her lap, the soothing sound of the thunderstorm that kept her dearest child awake. the only thing that was missing was just that. the bed beside her was empty. Her daughter gone, She had disappeared over three months ago after visiting her fathers grave on the cliff by the falls, it was nothing unusual. She did it every seventh night. but when she didn't return, the entire area was in an uproar.

"Rosalyn?"

A younger girl had poked her head into the room, Her purple braids falling off to the side.

"Charlotte? What are you doing here?"

Charlotte, Rosalyn's Neighbor had walked inside, She had been her daughters best friend even though She was a year younger, She had difficulties making friends because of her odd colored hair. But being the forge masters grand-daughter, She helped the hunting group stay well armed. which was how they had met.

"I just wanted to see how you were holding up..."

Rosalyn couldn't help but smile.

"Oh I'm alright dearie. Just... taking a stroll through memory lane."

Charlotte sighed as she took a seat on the bed. "Oh... Well I just wanted you to see something I found during the ceremony."

Charlotte dropped an object on the bed. Rosalyn reached out to pick it up.

"Oh Charlotte... How did you find my daughters weapon?"

Charlotte smiled and walked over to the doorway,

"The same way I found this!"

Charlotte pulled a person through the doorway by the sleeve, They were soaking wet, and their hair covered most of their face, Ater brushing most of the hair out of it, She could see the characters features better. Bright blonde hair, Ample features, But what caught her eyes the most part were the very distinct eyes. Multicolored, There was no doubt about it.

"Oh Aurora... Your alright!"

Rosalyn Embraced her daughter tightly, Knocking the blade off of the bed.

"Well, I don't wanna interrupt your family reunion, bye!" Charlotte skipped out of the room happy that her part was done.

* * *

Aran woke up in the back shed of the forge, a sight that looked incredibly familiar from his past, he used to spend all his time at the forge back in town. A few spare anvils, a lot of whetstones, but one thing that unsettled him was the strange containers with monster names on them, followed by a symbol that he couldn't recognise. Standing up, he felt a lot lighter. Shrugging it off he Went outside to a sight that wasn't all to unfamiliar, People walking back and forth with woven baskets with things ranging from apples to weird looking metal things.

"Geez, You fell asleep in there?" Lyn had approached with a basket of the rations that they had brought with them on the way here.

"Yeah, Didn't want to crowd the room they gave us."

"Yeah, well... hey, wheres your lance?"

Aran reached for his weapon, just to find that it wasn't there.

"You'd better find it, besides, this'll give you a chance to talk with a few of The people here, They're all great!"

And with that, Lyn took off and resumed chatting with a Villager that had turned the corner.

"heh, social butterfly."

Aran started the search for his weapon at the ceremony, checking the seats and the stage for any sight of his lance. he saw a flash of red, but it was just some watered down blood from the night before.

"Hey you o'er there!" Speak of the devil, one of the two people in the brawl had just entered the clearing. If he remembered correctly, His name was Jirall.

"You seem to be searching for something. what is it?"

"My Lance. have you seen it? It looks like a Rathalos."

Jirall grinned "A Lance. Is that what the stabby thing was called?"

"To put it bluntly, yes. So you saw it?"

"Yeah, It was all busted up, So I sent it to the forge. I was about to head over there myself, why dontcha tag along?"

"If you insist."

Jirall walked Aran through town, Giving him basic introductions, and brief overview of himself as well, Apparently Jirall was the chiefs only son. and his dad had taught him how to use a Halberd, Judging off of what they had heard, Jirall and trent would get along just fine.

"Ah, Here we are!" Jirall stepped inside and returned with a very intimidating Axe with a spearhead emerging through the top. "You'll find Your Stabby thing in there somewhere. see you around, heck, Might have to duke it out with ya sometime!

"I'd rather not!" He called after Jirall as he entered the building that he had been led to.

It was rather empty, but in a village with only three people who ever hunt, He wasn't surprised. What he was surprised by was the sheer size of the place. There were monster parts everywhere, a few anvils had been turned on their sides. which made absolutely no sense. and hammers of varying levels of wear were scattered around. In short, the place was a mess. and in the middle of the mess was a shorter girl with long purple braids with her head rested on one of the anvils across the table.

"Hey, excuse me?"

The girl didn't even stir from her position. her snoring was phenomenally loud, and she seemed too far into her sleep to be stirred,

"Hey, wake up." Aran poked her with a broken hammer handle only to get no response.

"Alright, If that's how you wanna play it, fine." Aran grabbed one of the actual working Hammers of a shelf and slammed it into the side of the anvil, making a sound so ridiculously loud even Aran had to plug his ears.

"GYAGH!" The girl jumped backwards into a pile of sandbags, resulting in a large poof of sand. "Jirall I told you to just!... oh..."

The girl sat up with a start, clearly not expecting such a rude awakening, or expecting Aran to be the one giving her one.

"Oh, you must be- S-sorry for yelling at you like that..." The girl seemed flushed with embarrassment as she brushed the sand of the hem of her robe.

"It's alright Miss..." Aran reached out and helped pull her up

"Charlotte, and you must be Aran, Your lance? i think, is almost ready for you."

"Wait how did you know my name"

"Oh, uh no reason!" She turned her head away from him quickly.

"well, what do you mean almost? It wasn't broken."

"Yes, but it would have been if you kept using it." She grabbed Arans hand and pulled him into the back room.

"I spent all night reinforcing the steel and replacing the broken parts, It just needed to soak in It's barrel to maintain it's structure... Hey don't touch it yet!"

She Pulled Aran away from the barrel where his lance handle was sticking out.

"that stench, are you soaking it in blood?!"

"Uh, Yeah. duh. Oh that's right you aren't from here... sorry!"

She pulled him out of the back room and through the front door by the forearm.

"While we're waiting, I should show you around!"

Aran cut himself short from telling her that Jirall had done that for him, slightly for not embarrassing her, but mostly because he liked her company.

* * *

Gigima had just finished his conversation with the settlements leader, or chief, as he liked to be called. He insisted that Aurora come with, but she had told him that she had already made plans. which made sense, After a long time away from her friends and family, she had some catching up to do. and after asking around for a bit he figured out that everyone was hanging around at Rosalyn's. Auroras Mother had kindly given them rooms for a few days until they departed. entering the large building built into the cliff, Gigima noticed that all of the heads were accounted for, including a few extras.

"Yeah, she absolutely hates it when we fight each other. she used to just grin and bear it, till she just snapped one day and dropped us both on our behinds. now whenever she catches us Having a bout, She'll do the exact same thing."

A man who seemed slightly older than Aran and Trent was talking to the circle.

"Yep! A kick to the leg, A knee to the back and then she'll smash their noses!" A smaller girl that Gigima had actually met had spoken up. Charlotte, who insisted on siitting next to Aran everywhere they went. "You'd think you'd learn by now Drake?"

The slightly older man held up his arms in protest. "Hey, I'm not the one who starts them, Jirall is the one picking the fights."

"I can vouche for that" Aran spoke up. "Walked with him for a bit earlier, he seems to get his kicks from fighting"

"See what I mean?"

Gigima cleared his throat in the doorway, turning the heads of the people who were talking amongst themselves in the corner, including Arnold, Leanne, and Rosalyn herself.

"Oh, Hey Gigi!" Lyn shouted over. "have you gone to see Aurora at the falls?"

"so that's where she is, Thanks for saving me a lot of time Young-un" Gigima waved goodbye and started heading up the steep path to the top of the waterfall. And steep for an old man means a lot more than just steep. It took him over a half an hour just to hear the falls roaring nearby, and once he reached the absolute top, all he could see was a tree covered with beautiful flowers on a clearing off to the side of the falls. a small gravestone right in front of it, and The now familiar blonde figure of Aurora.

"There you are Aurora, You said you wanted to show me something?"

Aurora didn't say a word as she stepped away from The Tombstone, leaning against the tree behind it. Gigima approached the gravestone and knelt before it.

"Here Lies Reo the greatest champion, without exception. A great man, a great husband..."

"and he would have been a great father as well..." Aurora mumbled from her position.

"Ahah... I understand now, Reo Was Rosalyn's wife, Yet he went and carked it before she could give birth?" Gigima stuttered as he looked up at Aurora, Her cheeks were completely drenched in tears. "Before she had you... I see, you wanted to know your father as a person, not a legend."

Gigima ran his hand over the tombstone slowly. as Aurora began to speak. "I hear from mom That I look just like him, But I wouldn't know. All I know is that The only thing That is certain between the two of us is this."

Aurora slipped off her glove and showed Gigima the mark up close. The same symbol that struck fear with just a whisper. "Just like My father, I've been 'blessed' with My blood. I am the Daughter of Reo, Aurora, and I too, am a White Fatalis.


	8. Daughter Of Dragons

"So you two are hunters as well? I've heard that the hunters in the more populated areas use much more unorthodox weapons." Drake turned his attention to Aran and Trent.

"Well To us, Their pretty normal, But to each their own." Trent shrugged as he explained it.

"True, true, I've seen both of your weapons myself, Yours is pretty unusual, But Aran, to put it bluntly, You just poke things with a stick?"

Aran rolled his eyes as Charlotte held back a laugh with Lyn "Don't judge it before you know what it can do."

"Which brings me to my point, A few... smaller monsters have been roaming around recently, And It wouldn't exactly be fair to drag Aurora after what she's been through. Want to tag along?"

"A few small fry are nothing To bad, So sure."

"Fantastic, I'll go fetch Jirall, You two do whatever you need to before we leave."

"Alright! Let's go get your Lancey thingy!"

Charlotte practically dragged Aran out of the room, Leaving the rest of the group comfortably seated.

"So where did Aurora take Gigima?" Leanne Asked.

"Oh, to my husbands Grave, She said he'd want to see it." Rosalyns mood darkened a little bit.

"Hey Miss Rosalyn, Why do ya look so sad all of a sudden?" Lyn spoke up from her chair.

"Oh... It's just that that was where she was last scene before her disappearance."

"Oh... Well... Now I can understand why your worried..." Leanne, frowned slightly.\

Arnold stood up "It's very late, I'll go fetch them and bring them back. Take no time!"

Arnold Got out of his chair, still in his standard alloy armor. and left after the group.

"Does he always carry around that heavy hammer?" Rosalyn Muttered as soon as the door closed.

"Yep, and he's dead silent with it somehow."

"He's gone one second and behind me the next!"

Leanne rolled her eyes at Lyn's complaining as she resumed conversing with Rosalyn.

* * *

"Alright, It should be done by now!" Charlotte gripped the handle of the lance and pulled it out, To Arans surprise it was Basically brand new. The Metal shone, not a single scratch or dent, The scales were fresh and shiny. but the most impressive thing about it was it's new azure sheen, Even the metal looked blue.

"Whoah... How did you?"

"Azure Rathalos blood, If used properly it can do magical things, just like all large monsters blood, and since your going out, you may as well tell me how it works when you come back."

Aran looked up from his blade at her absentmindedly "Huh?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes at him and handed him his shield, which had undergone the same treatment. "Just go out there and kick some ass. Okay?"

Aran smiled and nodded "Right, I'll be back to see you soon enough."

Charlotte sighed as Aran left to Join Trent and Drake outside. "Men... Just can't take a hint."

* * *

Aurora looked out at the path that she and Gigima had approached as She heard the sound of Armor clanging

"Gigima, get behind the tree quickly."

Gigima looked up at Aurora confused, but her stern demeanor told him to shut up and listen, stumbling behind the large tree he made sure he was out of sight as he heard the clanging approach further.

"I was hoping that we wouldn't have to meet again."

Peeking around through the leaves Gigima saw a large, LARGE figure approaching in an even bigger suit of Armor.

"You live, That is good news, for me. Your little ploy last time took me off the trail, but it is only Natural for Dragons to return to their nests."

It didn't take a Wyverian to hear Auroras growling.

"I took a look at the guild's papers... You are Nyx Lockewood. slaughterer of Elderdragons.

That name caught Gigimas Ears, this man was the same man who drove Reo Off all those years ago, How he was alive surprised him and Angered him.

"So you now know why I cannot let you live, Daughter of Dragons. The White Fatalis is the last I have to defeat, and the extinct cannot be resurrected, yet to my greatest fortune, Your father was what I needed, And his daughter was supposed to be a half breed." The Look on Auroras face grew more tense. " Yet she wasn't, in fact she turned out to be several times stronger than a true elder Dragon, Upon years of searching, You had been found, But then you played the most dangerous of cards."

* * *

Aurora fell backwards into the stream, crawling backwards she reached the edge of the falls. The darkly armored figure approached slowly.

"It is unlike an Elderdragon to be so unprepared for battle. A pity, I had high hopes for you." The figure drew his longsword from it's sheathe and angled it towards Aurora. "If you submit to me, I won't let it hurt as much."

Auroras eyes darted from side to side, The Tree, just beginning to bloom, stood behind her Fathers Grave, The Man she looked up to even though he hadn't been alive when she was born. She couldn't help but cry. She felt hopeless, An armed man had attacked her, she had no armor, and worst of all she was going to die.

"Come Elder Dragon, Your mark will make a fine trophy."

Aurora reached out for her weapon in a stand of defiance.

"You want to make me a trophy?! I can assure you, you will not kill me." Aurora Stood up, with her back to the Waterfall, The Moon shining at her back.

"Don't be foolish, You do not have the strength to harm me"

Aurora lifted the Blade to her own neck, The Tears still falling. The Armored man looked shocked. "Dragons are dignified Creatures, You must not mean to End your own life."

Aurora Pulled her hand Quickly as she closed her eyes, Se could feel the cold sting of The spectrum against her neck, She fell to her knees as She slowly lost consciousness, The last thing she felt was the Heavy pull of gravity, like a blanket after a tough day, pulling her into what could only be described as Death, Cold, embracing, and deafening.

The Armored figure Scowled as he looked over the falls at the water where Auroras body fell. "Bah, Surprises are a normal part of a hunt, But this was unexpected." With that he turned and left down the path he came.

* * *

Nyx Drew His Axe and pointed it at Aurora, who already had her Spectrum drawn.

"Gigima, I know that you are here."

Gigima stumbled out from behind the tree, still dumbfounded by the story Aurora had just told.

"Now Aurora, I do not wish to end your life with humility. Submit and I will end you with honor."

Aurora looked unsteady on her feet, She seemed sick to her stomach. Nyx Approached steadily.

"Why you don't pick on Man of your own Size!" A hammer collided with the ground in between them and holding the hammer was Arnold. "Roalyn tell me to fetch daughter, And I find Man who attempted to murder an innocent child."

"Where? does not matter. What concerns me more is that you think of this monster as a Human being, Monsters must be killed, no matter what. And this little beast is no exception."

"You think Little Girl is beast? You try to take on Arnold, I show you what beast truly is!"

Nyx sighed as he turned around and tossed a small package behind him. "I will not kill a weakling, I shall depart. You will come to the volcano and face me dragon. if you value this settlement and the people on it's lives, You will forfeit your life unto me, no tricks. Give that to Your special guests down in Rosalyns, They will be... emotional about this."

Nyx left down the path and disappeared from sight. Leaving Aurora bawling at her fathers grave with only Arnold and Gigima there to comfort her.

* * *

Aran, Trent, Drake, and Jirall entered into Rosalyns house with victorious faces. but all of that was torn away from the pathetic sight of Aurora Rosalyn and Charlotte, Bawling there eyes out in the corner. and Lyn and Leanne holding tiny fragments of metal in their hands, on the verge of tears. a note on the table read. "Dear Mainlanders, My pet Was not pleased when some insignificant pests tried to drive it away from it's favorite nesting grounds, It was only right to return the remains to the next of kin, do not make the mistake of joining your parents and Join the dragon as She duels her final battle against me." Turning to Lyn and Leanne they were holding tiny bits of Armor, unmistakably familiar as the Armor his parents wore on their hunt to kill The Alatreon.

"Aurora... You're an Elderdragon..." Drake spoke across the room.

Aurora responded with a nod, too choked up to speak to Drake, Who surprisingly didn't show any emotion. Looking around him, He saw the room in an uproar, The women were crying, the Men were enraged. until Drake slammed his dual blades hilts into the table to get some quiet.

"Well, If this Nyx guy wants to fight a dragon, He'll be sorely disappointed. He's getting an Army, and an asskicking. Tomorrow, so I'd suggest getting some rest."

Drake took his leave quietly, Knowing that He had made his point across, he Wouldn't allow the man to Put The woman Who had put so much time into him, into a nervous wreck. Aurora may be an elder dragon, But he wasn't about to let her Cry, not now, not ever again, What kind of prner would he be then?


	9. The White Lightning and the Dragons Test

The volcano could only be described in one word. Foreboding. you could feel the blistering heat from miles away, If it weren't for the excessive amounts of preparations they had, They would have passed out by now, The volcano was Straightforward. And The presence of Nyx had driven off any monsters that were nearby... It was even Affecting Aurora. Perhaps What he was saying about her being more dragon than Human was truthful. But that was besides the point. The point was that Nyx had attempted to slaughter A child. And then Attempted to again with witnesses. That factor alone Proved Drakes point.

But now he understood why Aurora had been so... emotional ever since. A Dragons pride Was supposedly their greatest asset. One that he found quite attractive. But After he heard Auroras account of what happened, between slitting her own neck in a final act of rebellion and waking up in a place that she didn't even know existed. He could only guess that the entire thing had been Emotionally Stressing. She had been even more distant than usual. But At the thought of Tearing Nyx to shreds she seemed to brighten up. But Drake knew that she couldn't pretend to keep a straight face forever.

Then there was Aran and Trent, Fury unmasked in both of them, a chance for revenge and redemption at the same time. Taking no more chances than they had too, they were the most prepared, Aran in his Azure Rathalos Gear, his Lance, now a matching shade of blue, it was true Charlotte could work miracles in the forge, but she hadn't made anything so seamless before in her life. Perhaps a little extra motivation was all she was lacking. but either way, the two former outsiders were s determined as the rest of them.

Before long, they were in the center of the volcano, oddly, the lava was only seeping out on the far sides of the gaping hole, looking straight up, they could tsee the cursed black and red figure distinguished as an Alatreon, and standing next to it Was Nyx Himself. The curved Longsword made of the Alatreons own body in his hand, A clear sign of his cruel behavior towards the monster. With the help of the psychoserum, Drake could sense the Alatreons Reluctance as It jumped down onto the platform where the six of them were standing.

"Well, I can see that you didn't understand my message at all, Stupid Dragon" Nyx Walked down the stairway along the side of the volcano, before leaping off of the side onto the platform above the lava "Your inability to co-operate will cost these five their lives. I hope you understand that..."

With a snap of his Fingers Nyx withdrew up the side of the hollowed out volcano to the ringed platform higher in the sided peak, the small Alatreon Let out it's familiar, startling Roar and lowered it's head at them, seeming to Ignore Aurora, it stared down the five men angrily.

"Get a move on!" While they were all distracted Aurora had darted behind the Alatreon and was on her way up the walls edge, the fast climber she was, she was already to the top before drake darted to the left of the Alatreon, he had just cleared the Alatreons side before it jumped sideways at him. blocking him off from the other four... who despite the lack of teamwork at the current moment, seemed to be more than holding their own. Looking up the cliff, He saw Aurora, her Light Armor looked absolutely spotless, It's spectral design a work of Charlotte, matching her blade to a near perfect pattern. But his attention was torn as his vision of Aurora was cut short by The Reaping Longsword that came so close to cutting Auroras head that it grazed her shoulder as shestepped to the right, Her spectrum already in movement as He pulled himself over the edge, The Spectral demolishers out of his pockets and aimed at the Heavily armored man in front of him, taking immediate care for the opening, He darted in close to Nyx, Painting the front of his Armor in Brachydios Slime, Rolling back, Aurora leapt over Him and ignited the slime, The explosion, nearly knocked Nyx's helm off, before he held it back in place.

"Erk! Well, It seems you two, especially, have a history, very well, This is the battle We shall end with!"

Aurora pulled back only for a moment "To end in my failure, or my greatest Triumph!"

* * *

Jirall actually enjoyed fighting with a bow opposed to a halberd. It gave him clarity over the battlefield and gave him plenty of areas to warn his partners of oncoming dangers... his only complaint was that his first time using a bow had to be against the god damned Alatreon of all things...

"Arnie! Roll left!" Arnold Immediately leapt to his left as the Alatreon plowed his horns into the side of the volcano, not taking an opportunity for granted, Arnold smashed his Alloy Hammer against the right Horn, after a few attempts, The already wounded horn Shattered and The Alatreon stumbled backwards. Roaring so Loudly that Even Nyx had to press his hands against the sides of his helm.

"Very good eyes, Keep up the good work!"

Arnold had approached Jirall and handed him a few Arrows that had missed their Mark. before running off to the same side as Trent, Leaving Aran off to the side, His unflinching Gaze no doubt settling upon a few soft spots in it's wings, before he would thrust forcefully at whatever he could find, after seconds of nothing, he turned his attentions to the beasts hide, before adjusting his grip on the weapon, Jirall saw a flash of rage mixed into Aran's eyes, He dashed forward, mauling the beasts lower side and leg, before absolutely tearing the beasts tail off, it hitting the ground with a crash. Jirall leapt over The tail, not bothering with it quite yet as He moved a further distance away from the Already weak beast. before the beast got back up and roared at them, It immediately Charged forward barely able to avoid the Alatreon as it smashed the climbable terrain behind him. blocking all access to the upper level where Drake and Aurora were paired against Nyx.

"well that can't be good..."

"NO SHIT!" Trents sarcastic Yelling overshadowed the stomping of the beast beyond them. yet behind both sounds... there was a sound that didn't exactly belong... flapping Wings? Before he could finish the thought, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and everything came to a stop... the Alatreon stared up at the mouth of the volcano. looking up at Aurora and Drake, their batle had come to a standstill as well. Looking up, he saw something he could never have seen in his wildest imagination. The large white wings of a Massive dragon, upon landing, he saw the short arms, sharp claws, and large head of the Elder Dragon. The White Fatalis had Joined the Fray.

* * *

Aurora couldn't believe her eyes, The extinct White Fatalis had decended into the volcano, watching closely, She saw it glance at her as it landed, facing the Alatreon, the other four behind it, backed into the entrance of the volcano, as it stared down the smaller Elder dragon, It's crest glowed red and the air shimmered with red sparks. It Lurched forward and attacked the Alatreon.

"But How!" Aurora was shocked "We're supposed to be extinct!"

Aurora was brought back to her senses by the flash of movement in front of her, Drake had blocked the longsword from cleaving her in twain with just a hair of breathing room before she kicked Nyx's Arm, sending him reeling

"Never lose Focus Child, It'll be your downfall."

keeping close tabs on both battles now, Aurora began her assault, out of the corner of her eye she'd see dark red bolts of electricity would be scattered thoughout the cliffside, having to adapt to her surroundings quickly, all the while the Volcano seemed to grow unstable. Whenever one of the dragons would crash into a wall the three of them would have to regain their balance. whenever an Ice shard appeared over their heads, they had to roll back to avoid the shattering shards, each so ragged that it could tear armor. as could be seen on Nyx's side of the field each swing of a blade leaving a spark, each spark igniting Drakes Brachydios slime, each explosion taking so much out of both sides.

"Drake!" Aurora reached and pulled him back as I fire ball roared between them, not having a chance to block herself, She felt the heat singe her arms, but what caught her eye most was a puddle of slime that had dripped off of Nyx's armor, before giving it any thought, she plunged her Spectrum into the center of the pool and vaulted over it standing on one hand on the blades hilt as it exploded, She felt herself get launched into the air, but oddly... her fear of heights didn't affect her now. She felt the wind around her, it danced the same way she spun around in the Air. Opening her eyes she looked down at the two dragons fighting oh so far beneath her, She saw the White fatalis get it's powerful jaws around the Alatreons neck, with a single blast of red sparks, The Alatreon fell lifeless, to the ground, The Fatalis Roaring in victory, turning back to her own position, she pulled the blade close to her as her ascent faded into a fall, Her blade poised exactly as she wanted it, she felt the wind blowing past her as she picked up speed, until finally, she felt the Spectrum crash against the side of Nyx's Shoulder the blade going straight down, she felt no resistance, no bones, no organs, Just the feeling of cutting through butter. Before she let go of the Hilt and crashed into the ground, unable to feel her legs as she hit the ground.

"Aurora?! what the hell did you do?" Drake had picked her off the ground and held her arm over his shoulder, grateful for the support, she looked at Nyx, to her surprise, Nyx was not completely destroyed. He was on one knee, the armor on his chest completely severed, with his left hand, he grasped the hilt of the spectrum and tossed it to the ground, out of energy he stayed motionless. Aurora looked to her side and saw the giant Fatalis head in front of her, instead of being absolutely paralyzed in fear like Drake was, She felt an unsteady calm, she could hear the Elder dragon perfectly.

"Grandpa!" She reached out and hugged the monsters massive snout in a childish way. but then stopped for a brief moment. "Dad? no you don't mean?" Aurora turned to the unmoving Nyx, who knelt supported on one knee, unmoving, unspeaking, Aurora reached out and grasped the helmet and pulled it off.

Underneath the Helm, was nobody at all, peeling the broken armor open, Aurora saw two items adhered to the heart of the armor, a small medal, and a letter, before bothering to ask, She turned to the Large elder Dragon and Bowed curtly, before rejoining her companions in the entrance of the Volcano, the White Fatalis already departing the same way he came in. Exiting the cave in silence All six of them were both shocked, and brimming with excitement.

* * *

Rosalyn waited, and waited, not in self pity, but in confidence, awaiting the same caravan that had taken her daughter away. Charlotte waiting beside her, the town felt heavy as the sun began to set, most of the people waiting had already left, they had already given up hope on the hunters, But now with only these two remaining, the familiar sound of wheels approached the settlement, Five people exiting the caravan, followed by Gigima,

"where's Aurora?" Rosalyn immediately seized up. Before she could get an answer the loud crash behind her made her turn around, A massive monster had landed in the clearing in the middle of town, Large, white, and intimidating, before she could so much as scream the familiar blonde figure she knew as her daughter hopped off the Dragon and hugged her

"I'm home.." Those words sent Rosalyn over the brink of tears which she brushed away with her sleeve as Aurora handed her a note, the penmanship shook her to the bone.

"My dear Rosalyn, and my child as well, My dying wish cold not be fulfilled with you both at such a young age, I wanted to live with you both, peacefully, but the world thought otherwise, So I leave my hunters mark to my child, and to my Wife, Please, never let the world around you decide for you, The choices you make have decided the outcome of our child, if you are reading this, then Our child is stronger than I ever was, and for that, I thank you, and please tell our child. That The world is out there, so many people to meet, so many places to see, and so many cultures to shock! so please, if we ever cross blades again, let it be many long, fruitful years from now. Love, Reo."

* * *

It had been a year since Auroras battle with her Father's ghost, a dragons test of adulthood, now, her settlement had moved into the guilds town, and of course, Jirall and Drake insisted on Living with the Hunters in their old home, and after expansions, became the largest functioning hunters base in the entire guild, Never a dull moment, always a friend to talk to, and you couldn't be happier, Your daughter has become a G-rank hunter in record time, Her friends are the most trustworthy group you have ever met, and your daughter still visits your grave once a week, tell me, are you proud of your daughter? are you proud you tested her so thoroughly? Because Trust me, She still wishes to see you face to face... maybe one day... her wish could become a reality, perhaps the cultures could collide one more time...


End file.
